Inclusive Living • Awareness • Representation • Empathy in Action

Across Australia, tertiary residences have attempted to meet the diverse needs of their students. However, the experiences of neurodivergent students and those with disabilities are often misunderstood or overlooked, meaning that these environments are inaccessible. University residences tend to see higher rates of neurodiversity and so for these individuals to thrive, they need more accessible and inclusive accommodations.

This academic hopes to provide a better insight into the lives and realities of neurodiverse individuals and people with disabilities, and what aspects of their residence and community may be impacting them. Students will be encouraged to critically assess practices and strategies that not only promote equity but work towards building inclusive and accessible environments. The academic will equip leaders with not only knowledge and insights but also the tools and framework necessary, demonstrating how the culmination of small actions and accommodations can make a world of difference for neurodivergent individuals. With content relevant to a wide range of leadership and residential roles, it is designed to empower delegates to become active agents of change, and embrace neurodiversity and accessibility as an everyday necessity and consideration.

With a focus on reflection and actionables this academic will require leaders to review the accessibility of their own residence by looking into the following areas; sensory support, communication preferences, hidden disabilities, social inclusion, and the support structures beyond adjusting infrastructure and policy.

Support Before Stigma • Safety and Harm Reduction • Proactive Response

Addiction, Drugs and Alcohol on Res addresses the role that drugs and alcohol have in the culture of many residences. This session aims to inform student leaders about drug & alcohol use on campus, equipping them with valuable information for when they find themselves in settings where alcohol and other drugs are involved. This academic aims to help leaders to navigate scenarios involving an interplay of student culture, addiction, and the law. We are striving to teach delegates the importance of removing stigma in situations where addiction is involved, and we will discuss the differences in zero-tolerance policies and harm-reduction policies. This session will target the impact leaders can have within their role when it comes to alcohol & drug culture on res; education provides everyone with the power to safely navigate situations involving drugs & alcohol without stigma.

We will be discussing how to approach difficult, and potentially life-threatening situations that could arise in their term as a leader. Education provides delegates with the power to safely navigate situations involving drugs & alcohol without stigma.

Professional Development • Public Perceptions • Giving Back • Outreach

Taking inspiration from previous academics such as Professionalism and Beyond Our Walls, Bursting the Bubble is a brand-new addition to NAAUC’s 2025 Academic Program! This academic will be exclusive to this year’s National Conference, taking delegates through a variety of topics and exercises that often get overlooked in the chaos that is residential life; these topics include professional development, community outreach and engagement, public perceptions, and communication portfolios. Using both lived experience and professional insight, this session will take delegates through what it means to burst the “college bubble”, looking beyond the walls of your residence, further still than your neighbouring residences, and using your position in your community for good. With strong themes of giving back, promoting the power of residential life, and leaving a legacy, this academic will inform students with the necessary tools to take back to their residence and watch it thrive.  

Evaluation • Reviewal and Renewal • Traditions • Challenging Perspectives

Residences have improved significantly over the past 10 years, rendering overt hazing unacceptable throughout the sector. However, the college life cycle is typically brief, hence student leaders and residences need to be proactive in maintaining their stance on these issues. The Cultural Audit prompts important discussions surrounding the role, power, and impact that student leaders have on their residence. This session asks individuals to take a step-back, remove the rose-tinted glasses, and evaluate the continuing purpose of various traditions, events, rituals, language, and behaviours that are accepted in their residences, asking whether those are relevant and conducive to forming the culture students want for their residence. Using Taiichi Ohno’s “Five Whys” concept, and through various publications that review culture and inclusivity within residences, students will take the steps necessary for critical cultural evaluation. From this session, leaders will be equipped with the knowledge required to assess, evolve, and actively improve the traditions and cultures that are a part of the fundamental basis of their residential experience. 

Safe Environments and Culture • Education & Support • Body Image & Norms

For many residences, the dining hall plays a significant role in a student's college experience. It is often the first space students meet one another during Welcome Week, it provides a central space for various meetings and student club events and of course, is a place where most students eat and spend many hours of their day. Residences without dining halls or with customisable meal-plans occupy a key element of this discussion too, where diet culture has the potential to permeate into the halls and everyday life. All of these spaces can be a high-risk environment for disordered eating and poor body image. Student leaders have the power to set the tone and culture throughout their residence, and in the dining hall is no different. During this academic, we will unpack how the unique environment of a college influences eating habits and body image, and the factors that can create these high-risk environments. The delegates will be given a chance to explore their own college’s diet- and body-image-related culture and traditions, and evaluate how this can impact not only risk factors for disordered eating and poor body image but the wider culture of their college.

Creating Culture and Values • Rewriting Traditions  • Purposeful Design

History and traditions are the building blocks of university residences- but where do you look to when these traditions no longer align with the values of your student body? Or where do you begin if these traditions have never existed? Engaging in New Traditions, another exclusive to this year’s National Conference, aims to equip delegates with the tools to reimagine existing or create new traditions for their residences. NAAUC acknowledges the importance of a connection to the history of residential spaces through traditions, but wishes to challenge the idea that these events, mascots, and similar examples must remain unchanged to have the desired effect. With delegates having the opportunity to evaluate their current traditions in other sessions such as The Cultural Audit, this academic will take them through the process of creating  new traditions. By exploring the motivations and purpose that the tradition serves, the student body’s values that are to be represented through traditions, and the steps required to engage their community and get new traditions off the ground, delegates should leave this session feeling excited to action change in their respective communities.

Planning • Risk Management • Evaluation • Practical Skills

Events are central to the residential experience, providing opportunities for students to build friendships, step outside their comfort zones, and create lasting memories. For some students, organising an event might be their first time taking on such responsibility. The Event Workshop guides participants through the entire event planning process, from initial brainstorming, engagement, defining end goals, through to a detailed pre-, during, and post-event evaluation. Attendees will also learn essential skills like conducting thorough risk assessments, adhering to government policies and developing contingency plans and strategies to ensure the safety and success of their events. By the end of the session, delegates will leave with a practical "how-to guide" they can bring back to their College, ready to organise events with confidence. This toolkit will bolster SLT resources for planning O Week and other residential events. This workshop aims to equip students with the tools and knowledge on how to plan and execute meaningful and safe events that enrich the residential community experience.

Understanding &  Inclusion • Exploration of Identity • Beyond the binary • LGBTQIA+ 

Residential communities create a space in which residents may explore, express, and celebrate their unique identity; gender and sexuality stand as a foundational pillar of this experience. The Gender and Sexuality Workshop academic pivots away from a didactic structure and instead aims to create a ‘holding circle’ within which student leaders can reflect upon the shape that gender takes in their college culture. From event management to leadership structures, delegates will explore the ways in which they may foster a culture incorporating positive masculinity and femininity, and gender diversity. This session will provide a forum for student leaders to discuss how gender norms and heteronormativity have impacted their residential experiences, and together we will brainstorm tangible actions that we can take to improve gender and sexuality culture on res. Attendees will leave this session armed with practical strategies to improve gender safety, educate their community, and, most saliently, celebrate gender and sexuality expression and diversity within their college space. 

Global Perspectives • Diversity & Inclusion • Collaborative design

Residences and the students within these spaces play a pivotal role in fostering international inclusion by creating vibrant, diverse communities that celebrate cultural exchange and understanding. By embracing, understanding, and investing in students from various countries and backgrounds, residences cultivate a myriad of perspectives, enriching the learning experience for all. Including International Students on Res will educate student leaders and help them better understand International students in their communities, and improve cross-cultural communication and integration within their residential settings. Throughout this academic students will critically evaluate their culture, student leaders, the events they run and the support offered to international students. This critical evaluation will help student leaders to better cater to their unique demographics while fostering inclusion. Overall, this academic aims to remind students that international inclusion in residential colleges is not just a goal, but a commitment, as creating environments where every student feels valued and empowered to contribute ensures that diversity is not only embraced but celebrated.

Analysis & Goal-setting • Connection over Comparison • Community

One of the many benefits to living on campus is the sense of community gained. This experience is heightened by extending interactions beyond the walls of your residence, and creating connections with neighbouring communities. Inter-residential relationships can be the highlight of one’s college experience, and this academic looks to encourage students to foster healthy connections across residences. With the opportunity to analyse and reflect on the current nature of inter-residential relations in their state, Inter-Res Relations will equip leaders with the knowledge needed to take their community to the next level. Acknowledging the variety of cross-residential relationships across the nation, this academic will provide the opportunity for attendees to work closely with others from neighbouring colleges. By forming genuine connections, students can reflect on any unhealthy conflict and strained relations, and work toward tangible outcomes in their region. Positive inter-residential relationships make everybody’s experience living on campus a safer, more enjoyable, and more worthwhile experience. This academic looks to ensure that all delegates walk away with a plan to action as they return to their respective communities. 

Personal Development • Teamwork • Accountability & Responsibility • Leadership toolbox

Leadership Logistics is an exploratory session that encourages critical analysis of attendee’s leadership skills both as individuals, but also broadly within teams throughout their residences. The workshop will initially encourage students to discuss the aspects of strong leadership, and critically examine their own leadership skills, whilst facilitators assist attendees in creating personal development plans. The second part of the workshop will focus on the development of the leadership teams within each residence. Students will work within their own residences to discuss the strengths of each leader, facilitating stronger team cohesion whilst simultaneously recognising the value of every team member, acknowledging that everyone brings something to the table. This session facilitates an environment whereby student leaders identify ways in which their personal leadership can be developed on individual and team-based levels, encouraging delegates to set goals for self-improvement throughout their tenure in  college leadership positions.

Reflection and Evaluation • Goal-Setting • Vision • Team behaviours

The mid-year slump is a common challenge that leadership teams face during their tenure. It can be easy to fall into a pattern of behaviour throughout the year, and lose sight of the goals and vision you set for yourself at the beginning of your term. NAAUC on the Road Exclusive Looking Back, Moving Forward provides student leaders with the space and opportunity to revisit their goals, and reposition themselves for the time they have left in their role. NAAUC acknowledges the high-pressure environment in which residential student leaders operate, and this academic therefore ensures that attendees leave feeling empowered and ready to make the most of their remaining tenure. Perfect for mid-year retreats and NOTR bookings, Looking Back, Moving Forward puts student leaders back on track for a fantastic second-half of the year. 

Mental Wellness and Health • Self-Care & Safe Spaces • Risk Management

You can't support others if you don't feel supported yourself. Mental wellbeing and a positive mindset are crucial elements of residential life, encouraging proactive efforts to minimise the need for reactive responses to mental health crises. Mental Wellbeing explores the multiple dimensions of mental wellness in Australian residences and the potential mental health risks that students may encounter. In addition to students, the session focuses on leadership in university residences, emphasising the role of student leaders in escalating mental health crises and recognising situations that can undermine their own mental health. The seminar provides an opportunity to articulate tangible outcomes in response to various scenarios that student leaders may face. The discussion delves into how team dynamics can significantly influence the mental health of a student leadership team, focusing on aspects such as team cohesion, motivation, respectful relationships, and conflict management.

Teamwork • Cohesion & Communication • Planning • Conflict Resolution

This NOTR exclusive offering aims to unite student leadership teams and inform them of the key elements to successful operation. Whether we are speaking to your Residential Advisor, Student Executive, O-Week, or broader Student Leadership teams, Operating Effectively as a Team has something in it for everyone. The academic looks to tackle team dynamics, common challenges, communication strategies, and conflict resolution. Informed by lived experience as well as professional insight, this academic will break down the elements of teamwork, acknowledging high-intensity periods throughout the year, and how each team can best ensure that stress remains low, and cohesion remains high during these times. As a NOTR Exclusive, this academic has the potential to be tailored to suit your residence, and your teams, specifically. Through consultation and communication, this session will set your team up for success regardless of what your tenure throws at you. 

Pastoral Care • Support • Preparation & Presence • Understanding • Boundaries

In our residences, student leaders, and specifically contracted SLT, adopt a role of providing pastoral care to residents. Encompassing the emotional, social, and spiritual support of residents, the task of providing pastoral care can be broad and conflicting. RA Realities aims to provide student leaders with an understanding of pastoral care and their duty of care, as well as informing on tangible strategies to bolster the pastoral care of residents and student leaders. In providing pastoral care to residents, we emphasise that student leaders must consider their own wellbeing and emotional bandwidth before they embrace the needs of others. We aim to inform on the benefits of setting and maintaining professional and personal boundaries, and the importance of vertical escalation when reporting incidents involving pastoral care. We will arm student leaders with the knowledge required to identify signs of compassion fatigue and empathy burnout, and strategies to manage these experiences so SLT can still achieve within their roles. In providing pastoral care on res, we emphasise the cyclical nature of this care, and the many facets it encompasses. Our session will set up student leaders to return to their residences informed with manageable and realistic expectations for their role, prepared to provide a quality level of pastoral care to their residents. 

History and Legacy • Shared Experience • Student Engagement • Purpose

Residential Life: A Holistic Experience invites attendees to reflect on the special and unique experience residential life provides. As we explore the key question, “what is the purpose of life on res?”, we identify the rich history of residential living and piece together the benefits this unique opportunity affords us. Over the course of the session, students will examine the driving forces fueling residential experiences, their influence and passion as student leaders, and how student leaders can overcome beliefs that limit our achievements. Exploring central themes of ‘togetherness’ and ‘working’, we look at continuing the legacy of previous leaders to foster continuous growth and improvement within our residences. This academic assists students to orient themselves within their community, and ensure that focus is given to the unique and wonderful experience that is residential life. 

Consent & Communication • Safety • Reporting • Vulnerable Relations • Behaviour

Part of the beauty of university residences is the platform that they provide for meeting new people, and creating strong bonds. However, the unique space that our residences provide- accelerating intimacy and frequent interactions- makes it incredibly important for leaders to be able to identify the signs of a toxic relationship, and intervene before a situation becomes dangerous. In light of new legislation, and discussions surrounding the Universities Accord, Respectful Relationships on Res comes at the perfect time as an addition to NAAUC’s academic program. By separating this important topic from existing academics like Sex Culture, we are ensuring that the content covered is both comprehensive and digestible for delegates. The important conversations hosted in this academic should leave students feeling knowledgeable and empowered, ready to identify the signs of dangerous platonic and romantic relationships, and make sure that their residence has procedures in place to remain both compliant and safe. Through collaboration with relevant key stakeholders, the content in this academic will be up-to-date, relevant, and engaging. 

Governance • Compliance • Processes & Procedures •  Tax Obligations

For many students, becoming an office bearer in a student club or student association within their residence will be their first experience in dealing with a range of regulations and legal responsibilities. We understand and acknowledge this can be an area where students lack confidence surrounding their responsibilities. That is why Responsibilities of an Office Bearer is fundamental to our academic program, and so highly regarded amongst students. It is the duty of the office bearers to ensure their student club is complying with the law, and maintaining the integrity of their student club processes. Throughout this academic, attendees will be given the chance to familiarise themselves with the general duties of an office bearer, as well as the legislation and regulations that govern these processes. We will navigate and unpack the specific requirements and duties of each office bearer and how each individual role interacts with others. It will also provide information on how to undertake these tasks effectively and efficiently to ensure the operations of the student clubs abide by the law. Given the recent changes to the clubs’ tax obligations for incorporated student clubs, we have consulted with relevant stakeholders to ensure we can provide accurate information and resources to student leaders.

Balance and Regulation • Burnout • Mental Wellness • Setting Boundaries

It is a familiar yet important concept for student leaders that they must prioritise ‘self-care’ in order to avoid burnout. Whilst taking time for meditation, a walk outside, or spending time with loved ones is imperative to maintaining a positive mindset for all individuals, living in your workplace is something unique to the leaders of university residences. It can be difficult to set clear boundaries and separate responsibilities of a role from relaxation and ‘off’ time. Self-Care in Leadership aims to guide leaders to know the bounds of their roles, set clear expectations for their year and finally, provide mechanisms to put procedures in place for taking leave when needed. This session reaches outside the box for the familiar advice given to help delegates to set tangible goals for their coming year as residential college leaders.

Hook up Culture • Sex Positivity • Reporting Practices • Boundaries • Power Dynamics

Sex Culture on Res looks to arm leaders with the necessary knowledge and skills to address the sex culture at their residence, and to influence change in their communities. By forming an understanding of the current sex culture at their college, with specific focus on disclosure practices, the LGBTQIA+ community, consent, and sex education, attendees should leave this academic feeling empowered through their knowledge, and ready to set a positive example in their community. This session also provides a space for delegates to discuss these issues within the context of the current climate around sex culture in Australia, and we conclude with the provision of useful resources for situations of this nature. This academic content will be pertinent to first responders and those handling disclosures of sexual assault and sexual harassment, as well as other leaders within residential communities, who have the opportunity to foster positive and non-discriminatory sex culture. 

Handover • Long term Planning • Information • Goal-Setting

Strategic planning and effective changeover are some of the most crucial aspects of maintaining a thriving and well-equipped student leadership team. Strategic planning provides a clear framework for a leadership team's goals, metrics to achieve those goals, and tangible action items to be carried out to achieve the broader vision or mission of the leadership team. Effective changeover is vital to ensure that new leaders are well-prepared and informed coming into their term in leadership. It is the responsibility of any good leader to leave their successors in a better position than when they assumed it. The continuity provided through effective changeovers are vital for sustained success and maintenance of college customs and traditions. Strategic planning and structured changeover foster a culture of accountability and collaboration; they encourage continual growth and development. Strategic Planning and Effective Changeover is designed to provide leaders with the necessary tools and direction to continue or establish their own strategic plan and ensure that they are carrying out best practice to provide an effective changeover for future leaders.

Creating Belonging & Community •  Event Planning • Team Dynamics

This session is designed for students to have some fun, creating a forum to share their ideas and experiences, and equipping them with the tools they need to run a successful Welcome Week. Welcome Week covers the essentials of a successful orientation, and how we can improve the inclusivity of events to appeal to diverse audiences, ultimately bolstering residential engagement. We emphasise the influence that the leadership team can have, motivating leaders to set a positive example as they begin to cultivate a strong sense of community within their residence during this pivotal week. Touching on common challenges faced, including hazing, burnout, and team dynamics, there is a lot to be learnt from this academic. The session encourages attendees to re-evaluate their traditions, daring them to try something new, or to implement improvements as they progress through orientation preparation, and of course, a wealth of ideas to take back home to their residence.

Teamwork • Proactive & Reactive Thinking • Contingency Planning • Reassurance

What to Do When You Fuck Up delves into the crucial aspects of handling mistakes effectively as a leader in a residential setting. The session includes different types of mistakes, how to avoid them, as well as how to deal with them effectively when they inevitably arise. One of the hardest aspects of being a college leader is managing the mistakes that occur in such a dynamic environment; this session will explore how to navigate these challenging situations with confidence and resilience. We will discuss strategies for acknowledging and owning mistakes, learning and adapting from errors, communicating proactively, and seeking support. Potential scenarios will be provided to illustrate how to respond to various situations that might arise during your leadership tenure. We'll also focus on minimising the chances of making mistakes and managing controllable errors. The session will address handling team members who might get upset and understanding the scale of your mistake, whether short-term or long-term. You'll gain practical ways to overcome mistakes and reassurance that making errors is part of being a leader. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their own experiences with mistakes, fostering a supportive and learning-focused environment.

Professionalism • Trust Building • Shared Purpose & Goals • Respect

In undertaking a leadership role at a residential college, students may find connecting with residential staff and building purposeful professional relationships to be a recurrent challenge. We understand that there can be times where students and staff come to disagreements over issues relating to student life, and how this can negatively impact college communities or student club goals. The purpose of Working with Res Staff is to demonstrate that staff and students are united by the common goal of providing an exceptional resident experience, and how we can use this to build relationships based on trust and respect. Conflict often arises regarding the way in which our shared goals are achieved, and we will explore how one can reach a compromise that satisfies both parties. We will discuss navigating personal and professional boundaries when interacting with college admin as both a resident and student leader, the importance of how we communicate our student perspective, and also how we can create intentional impressions when working with res staff.